The present invention relates generally to data recording media. More particularly, the present invention relates to a visual capacity indicator for indicating an amount of recording space available for recording on a recording medium.
With the widespread use of computers in the "Information Age" currently taking place, various types of data storage devices are in use. These data storage devices include magnetic disks, optical disks, and magneto-optical disks. For example, floppy disks are common devices for storing data to and from computers, and recordable/rewritable optical and magneto-optical disks (CD-Rs) and recordable/rewritable digital versatile disks (DVD-Rs) are expected to increase in popularity in the near future.
Storage devices such as floppy disks, CD-Rs, and DVD-Rs are generally small in size, lightweight, reasonably affordable and can store well over 1 Mbyte of information on each disk. These storage devices are also easily transferred from one computer to another and, therefore, are a convenient means to transfer data between various computers without requiring a network system or a modem device.
A common storage device is the so-called 3.5-inch floppy disk. A perspective view of a typical 3.5-inch floppy disk 1 is shown in FIG. 1. A disk-shaped recording medium 2 is housed in a rigid cartridge 3 that provides reasonable protection from inadvertent physical damage. The cartridge 3 is formed of an upper half 31 and a lower half 32 and includes a sliding cover plate or shutter 6 that selectively covers an aperture 5 in the upper half 31 of the cartridge 3 for accessing an upper side of the recording medium 2 housed therein. The cover plate 6 provides limited access to the recording medium 2 housed in the cartridge 3. A spring mechanism 7 biases the cover plate 6 to a normally closed position covering the aperture 5. When the floppy disk 1 is inserted into a disk drive unit (not shown), the cover plate 6 is moved to expose the aperture 5 and a portion of the recording medium 2.
In order to determine how much disk space is available for recording for a conventional floppy disk, such as that shown in FIG. 1, a user must insert the floppy disk into the disk drive of a computer and then input commands instructing the computer to electronically access the recording medium in the floppy disk to retrieve information relating to the amount of disk space available for recording data. The computer responds by displaying the information on a display monitor.